Highlander jailed after he raped two teenage girls in Inverness

A sex offender who attacked and raped two teenage girls in the Highlands was jailed for six years today after claiming that the victims fabricated evidence.

Toby Deakin first struck when he was aged 15 in an assault committed against a 14-year-old schoolgirl at a house in Inverness on May 31, 2016.

During the attack he restrained the teenager.

Deakin was aged 19 when he attacked and raped a second victim – who was 16 years old at the time of the offence – in Inverness. He repeatedly grabbed her by the body and pulled her across a bed on October 12, 2020.

Deakin, now aged 22, formerly of St Andrews Walk, Fortrose, in the Highlands. had denied committing the crimes, but was found guilty after an earlier trial.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh heard that he continues to maintain his innocence of the offences.

Lord Clark said a background report prepared on him noted he showed no remorse and blamed the victims for fabricating their evidence at his trial.

He said he took into account the guideline for sentencing young people but because of the nature and seriousness of the offences only a custodial disposal was appropriate.

Lord Clark said that if the crimes had been committed by an adult offender he would have imposed a sentence of eight years and six months imprisonment.

But the judge said Deakin had "some degree of immaturity" at the time of the offences, particularly the first crime.

Deakin, who was assessed as posing a medium risk of further sexual offending, was told that he would be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for an indefinite period.